How to Write a Critical Essay #2
FIVE PARAGRAPH FORM
¶1 introduction; (funnel openner) thesis statement, topic summary
¶2 first topic sentence, reference to work to prove your point, brief quote, show how citation proves the claim you make in your topic sentence, show how the paragraph relates to your thesis. Transition to next idea.
¶3 second topic sentence, reference to work to prove your point, brief quote, show how citation proves the claim you make in your topic sentence, show how the paragraph relates to your thesis. Transition to next idea.
¶4 third topic sentence, reference to work to prove your point, brief quote, show how citation proves the claim you make in your topic sentence, show how the paragraph relates to your thesis. Transition to conclusion.
¶5 summary of three topics, synthesis (where you make a new, conclusive statement in which the three topic sentences come together), close with a memorable line.
SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTION
Compare & Contrast the nature of evil in 1984 and in Lord of the Flies.
Step one: Think about the question. Don't begin by writing. What is meant by "the nature of evil"? Think about the nature of evil in 1984. Here it is institutional, a self-perpetuating system that poisons minds by working from the top down. But in Lord of the Flies, it comes from inside the individual. The beast lives in us all. Jack, thorugh fear, love of power, jealousy, insecurity, and inability to communicate, is the first to unleash his beast and turn savage. He poisons the others, but they are primed for it. So, one main difference is this: in 1984 the evil is institutionalized, in Lord of the Flies it is personalized.
Now think about similarities. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph has to fight to stay sane, to stay above the evil, to keep himself (if not others) civilized. In 1984, the same is true of Winston. He has to fight to stay sane and to stay alive. Both men fight against the Beast (evil) and to a greater or lesser extent lose that fight. Winston betrays himself. Ralph becomes animal like towards the end of the book. Winston capitulates and loves Big Brother. Ralph returns to a war-torn world of gun boats and nuclear destruction.
Now that you've thought about your answer, try to come up with an outline. Here's a sample outline:
¶1. Intro
thesis: "In 1984 and in Lord of the Flies, Orwell and Golding write of the nature of evil in similar and dissimilar ways."
topic summary: "They disagree as to the source of the evil, but they tell similar stories of heroes who fight against the evil and ultimately lose parts of themselves to that evil."
¶2. Topic Sentence: "Golding and Orwell disagree as to the source of the evil. Golding believes evil comes from the top, from institutions and bureacracies, that connive to maintain power while Golding holds that evil exists in every one of us."
¶3. Topic Sentence: "Still, they tell similar stories of heroes who fight against the evil. In 1984 Winston Smith tries to fight against Big Brother. . . In Lord of the Flies Ralph tries vainly to keep the boys together, to keep the fire of civilization burning.. . "
¶4. Topic Sentence: "The two authors also tell us that their heroes lose part of themselves to the evil. Smith betrays both Julia and himself because of his instinctive fears. Ralph, running for his life, becomes beast-like in order to survive."
¶5. Topic Summary: "Golding and Orwell tell two very different stories of heroes fighting against evil. One fights against an institutional evil, while the other fights against the beast in himself and in his friends. Still, they fight, and in doing so, lose to the evil.
Synthesis with memorable ending: "But whether the evil is institutional or personal, both authors, I think, would agree that evil permeats our society. It comes from our jealousies, our lust for power, our insecurities, our fears, our superstitions, our inability to effectively communicate, and our need to find enemies to destroy. This evil, whether present in Ralph or Winston Smith, present in you or me, lessons us all, connects us to the Lord of the Flies and to Big Brother, recalls our Original Sin, and works to keep us from forming loving communities. The challenge each author makes for the reader is to look the evil straight in the face, admit it exists, and work to limit the harm it does to our human spirit. The fire in us always burns. Our job is to control the flame so that it doesn't burn us and it doesn't burn others."